Finally, in the fourth year that Robert Loomes & Co has offered one of its handmade British watches at Rockingham International Horse Trials, a British rider got to wear it home. Oliver Townend won the Open Intermediate Section O riding Coldplay III and, although Tim Price made a concerted effort in the Advanced Intermediate Section Q to outmanoeuvre Oliver, the Yorkshire-born rider won the Robin watch named after a Yorkshire watch maker.
The Robert Loomes & Co Robin watch valued at over £8,000 has been awarded three times before and each time it has gone to an international rider; Ireland’s Austin O’Connor won the first one followed by New Zealand’s Sir Mark Todd and last year by Australia’s Bill Levett. Bill was wearing his today when he took a ducking in the water complex so we hope it is still working well!
Ready for the off ........... Oliver and Coldplay III in the Start Box Photo courtesy Trevor Holt
The watch is offered in the Advanced Intermediate and Open Intermediate classes as the big prize for the rider closest to the optimum time who finishes in the top five of either class. Oliver had a few chances to win it today with five horses in both these classes but it was his ride on Ludwig Svennerstal’s Coldplay III in the Open Intermediate Section O that was the closest, just one second under the optimum time.
“I hope Ludwig doesn’t think he’s going to get the watch!” laughed Oliver
Oliver Townend
Coldplay III, a 10 year old gelding that won the CCI1* at Ballendenisk in April, started with a dressage score of 27.5 and added nothing to it while his stable mate Ballaghmor Class finished just behind in third place on a score of 28.4. The two horses ridden by Oliver were split by Australia’s Andrew Hoy on Cheeky Calimbo finishing on 27.7 but Andrew missed out on the watch by just one second
Nearly home - Tim Price and Cekatinka over the second last fence
New Zealand’s Tim Price was the last rider to go in the Advanced Intermediate and, like Oliver, he had a few rides, helping him to get a good feel for the time on course.
With a combined dressage and show jumping score of 23.3, the 10 year old mare Cekatinka, was well in the running and Tim slowed as he came to the finish, trying to cross the line as close as possible to optimum time. He thought he had it but, like Andrew Hoy, he was two seconds under and, although Tim took the class, Oliver took the watch.
Pippa Funnell on Sandman 7 took second place in this class and Aoife Clark on Colourfast II finished third.
Pippa Funnell and Sandman 7
